<p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify"><img src="https://images.ecency.com/DQmSmkA4WMFgXvuLkbXHgo9xzt5r8Qt7NTawyLw6rjJN9xA/money_bitcoin.png" alt="AI generated"></p>

<p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">Most of the day yesterday, I spent working for Hive—though not necessarily on the blockchain itself. I feel there's a need for more dialogue before I truly find my allies here. The truth is, most people haven’t spent the amount of time I have thinking about the value proposition of cryptocurrencies. So when I present a solution, they seem a little confused.</p><p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">As with many things, education is key. It’s almost as if I have to first show them how they’ve been getting screwed—pour salt in the wounds, even—before I can explain how we might take back our agency. The process isn’t simple, and I’d say it’s quite delicate. You’re, in a way, attempting to shatter their worldview. That’s never easy, and almost never welcome.</p><p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">That said, I’m fine-tuning my storytelling. I feel like I’m reaching a point where I can identify what line of discussion to take, depending on the person in front of me. Intuitive? Yes. But I submit to you that most people have one “sales pitch,” so to speak, and use it like a hammer—regardless of whether they’re dealing with a screw.</p><p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">The first in what I hope will be a valuable collection of videos on Philosophy of the Economy went up on my blog last night. I don’t know yet if this account is best suited for Spanish content, but alas, that’s a puzzle piece I’m still figuring out.</p><p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">The video touches on El Salvador’s Bitcoin triumphs—and also its shortcomings.</p><p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">Now, I respect President Bukele. I celebrate most everything he’s done for his country. But I’m not blind to the fact that Chivo Wallet—his attempt to Bitcoinize the common folk—somewhat failed.</p><p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">Most people, when given thirty dollars worth of Satoshis, will simply swap it for local currency. It makes sense. Honestly, any other reaction would’ve surprised me.</p><p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">There’s a story I share on my Spanish vlog—one I believe is essential to understanding how money really works. It goes a little something like this:</p>

The $100
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<p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">A man arrives at a hotel he sees in the distance. He’s considering staying there, so he talks to the receptionist. Says he needs to feel the vibes of the place before deciding.</p><p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">The receptionist says that’s fine, but he’ll need to leave a $100 security deposit to explore the premises. The man agrees, leaves the money, and wanders off.</p><p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">A second man—blue-collar type—walks in. Turns out he’s the electrician who’d been fixing the place the day before. He’s here to collect payment. The receptionist, smiling, pays him—the same $100.</p><p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">The electrician heads home, happy. He plops down on his old couch to watch some TV, when there’s a knock on the door. It’s his landlord. Time to pay rent.</p><p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">So the electrician gives him the $100 he just received. The landlord nods, satisfied, and leaves.</p><p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">Driving home, the landlord spots the hotel. His daughter’s birthday is coming up, and there’s a ballroom there—perfect for the occasion. He goes in, reserves the space, and pays the deposit: $100. The receptionist puts the money (yes, the same $100) back in the drawer.</p><p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">Not long after, the first man returns. He’s decided not to stay. He asks for his deposit back, and the receptionist, obliging, returns the very same $100.</p><p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">As you continue reading my ramblings this morning, keep that story in mind—and ask yourself one question:</p><p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">How did everyone get paid?</p>

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Along Comes Hive
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<p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">I realize my position—that Bitcoin isn’t particularly useful as real money—ruffles feathers. I’m also aware there’s a white paper that says I’m wrong. But the truth is, things change. Concepts evolve. We have to keep up.</p><p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">Hive, on the other hand, doesn’t carry the same baggage Bitcoin does. And more importantly, the people who join our peaceful revolution can learn something truly valuable along the way.</p><p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">They can learn how to fish.</p><p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">You know the saying: Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day; teach him to fish and he’ll feed himself for life. Or something like that. Becoming a Hivean is precisely that.</p><p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">We show people how to generate value. How to “feed themselves.” How to synergize with others. How to build communities. How to create parallel economies.</p><p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">You get my point.</p><p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">This isn’t about dropping tokens on people and watching them sell them for cash. If it were, I wouldn’t be here. Why? Because while everyone likes free money, that’s not an economy. That’s just a little gift. (Which is fine, but let’s not pretend it’s a revolution.)</p><p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">I think I’ll leave this ramble here. It’s already a long post, and I suspect most people will tune out before the end. But before I go, let me remind you of the question I posed earlier.</p><p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">How did all those people get paid?</p><p style="text-align: justify" dir="justify">MenO</p>